Japan PM slams China at debate ahead of elections

Japanese Prime Minister and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Shinzo Abe, left, speaks as Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto of the Japan Restoration Party, center, and Yoshimi Watanabe of Your Party listen among the leaders of nine political parties during a debate for upper house election at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Abe's LDP and its junior partner, the New Komeito Party, are expected to gain a majority of the 242 seats in the less powerful upper h
— AP

Japanese Prime Minister and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Shinzo Abe, left, speaks as Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto of the Japan Restoration Party, center, and Yoshimi Watanabe of Your Party listen among the leaders of nine political parties during a debate for upper house election at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Abe's LDP and its junior partner, the New Komeito Party, are expected to gain a majority of the 242 seats in the less powerful upper h
/ AP

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, right, co-leader of the Japan Restoration Party, speaks as Japanese Prime Minister and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Shinzo Abe listens during a debate for upper house elections to be held July 21 among the leaders of nine political parties at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Abe's ruling LDP and its junior partner, the New Komeito Party, are expected to gain a majority of the 242 seats in the less powerful upper hous— AP

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, right, co-leader of the Japan Restoration Party, speaks as Japanese Prime Minister and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Shinzo Abe listens during a debate for upper house elections to be held July 21 among the leaders of nine political parties at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Abe's ruling LDP and its junior partner, the New Komeito Party, are expected to gain a majority of the 242 seats in the less powerful upper hous
/ AP

Leaders of nine Japanese political parties join their hands together at the start of their debate for upper house election to be held on July 21 at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo Wednesday, July 3, 2013. They are from left, Mizuho Fukushima of the Social Democratic Party, Ichiro Ozawa of the People's Lives First Party, Natsuo Yamaguchi of the New Komeito Party, Banri Kaieda of the Democratic Party of Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democratic Party, Toru Hashimoto of the — AP

Leaders of nine Japanese political parties join their hands together at the start of their debate for upper house election to be held on July 21 at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo Wednesday, July 3, 2013. They are from left, Mizuho Fukushima of the Social Democratic Party, Ichiro Ozawa of the People's Lives First Party, Natsuo Yamaguchi of the New Komeito Party, Banri Kaieda of the Democratic Party of Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democratic Party, Toru Hashimoto of the
/ AP

TOKYO 
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday criticized China for shutting "all the doors" to dialogue because of the countries' territorial disputes, as he joined other party leaders in a debate a day before campaigning officially starts for July 21 parliamentary elections.

"It is wrong to shut all the doors just because a problem occurred. It is wrong to reject summit talks because the other party gets on a nerve, or doesn't accept a demand," Abe said.

The ongoing diplomatic row between Japan and China over a group of East China Sea islands claimed by both has been a flashpoint of contention, with Chinese surveillance and navy vessels increasingly present around the islands.

Japan and other Asian countries that also have territorial disputes with China will work together to keep order in the region "by rules of law," Abe said.

"China's ongoing behavior is not tolerated by the international society, and we seek to push for a more peaceful approach," he said.

Flanked by eight other party leaders in a debate held at the Japan National Press Club, Abe was the target of many of the questions posed by political rivals and experts querying his economic policies, views on revising the constitution, nuclear power and ties with China and South Korea, as well as his views on Japan's wartime history.

During the debate, Abe also played up signs of economic recovery and appealed to voters for political stability.

Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the New Komeito Party, are expected to gain a majority in the less powerful upper house through the elections, when half the chamber's 242 seats will be up for grabs. That would give them control of both chambers of parliament for as long as three years if early elections aren't called, making it easier to pass legislation after years of gridlock from a "twisted parliament," in which the opposition controls the upper house.

Abe's Cabinet has enjoyed relatively strong public support since taking office in December after the LDP's landslide victory in lower house elections, thanks largely to his three-pronged economic revival program dubbed "Abenomics," which includes massive monetary easing and public spending. Business confidence has bounced back, stock prices have risen sharply and the weaker yen has given exporters relief.

Abe boasted about Japan's 4.1 percent annual economic growth rate in the first quarter, and pledged to lift the country out of years of deflation.

"Thanks to everyone's strength, politics has changed and the economy has begun to move," he said. "We will win the election, end the twisted parliament and deliver visible results that you can see."

Amid growing concerns about the diplomatic impact of his nationalistic views, Abe was cautious on historical issues Wednesday. He said Japanese - including politicians - had a right to pray at Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni war shrine, but refused to say whether he will visit the site on Aug. 15 to mark the end of World War II and pray for the 2.3 million war dead and convicted wartime leaders memorialized there.